New PCB chief removes four advisors including Shoaib Akhtar

New PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has removed the quartet of advisors, including former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Islamabad regional head Shakeel Sheikh and two others, who were appointed by his predecessor Najam Sethi during his tenure.

Although Shoaib had tweeted on Thursday claiming he had resigned from the position of advisor to the PCB chairman, he and the other three were, in fact, informed through an official letter that their services were no more required. While Shakeel and Aizad Sayid were serving as honorary members, Shoaib and former Test cricketer Salahuddin Sallu were paid advisors to the chairman.

Sheikh, formerly a PCB governing board member representing Islamabad region, took on the role of advisor on domestic cricket and grounds upon the completion of his term last year, rendering the switch a subject of conflict of interest, as he was thought to be unfairly allotting domestic matches to a ground in the Islamabad region called the Diamond Cricket Club. He was considered the most powerful - non-cricketer - individual running domestic cricket affairs.

Sayid, who was originally a director of cricket academies and game development until last year was removed from the position over issues of administration. But then he was reappointed advisor to Sethi on grassroots and club cricket affairs.

Mani has, in fact, dissolved all the committees formed during Sethi's tenure, citing conflict of interest as a major issue in all of them. Mani cited the example of the chief finance officer, who was also part of the audit committee, as one such case. "He was in the audit committee which is not a good practice because he is the one who has to face questions during audit then how can be the one in the committee," Mani had questioned. Similarly, he felt that every working committee formed by Sethi was constituted against the basic principle of professionalism.

The PCB under Mani is facing changes in the Board's structure, constitution and the pattern of day to day functioning. Only the national selection committees at senior and junior levels for both men and women are intact. Mani also said the number of people working in Pakistan cricket - over 900 employees- was far too many.

"I doubt such big number of employees are working in any cricket board of the world. It is mainly because the PCB has centralised many things and there is a need to decentralise. No cricket board in the world is running stadiums as associations are owning those."